


Eclipse

by Sira



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-07
Updated: 2013-04-07
Packaged: 2017-12-07 19:15:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/752049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sira/pseuds/Sira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a bad day at work, Laura finds herself in a bar meeting an interesting man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eclipse

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a prompt given at http://laura-lee-bsg.livejournal.com/

Frak Richard Adar. 

Or not. 

Hadn’t she done just that only yesterday, only to find herself looking at him holding hands, dancing and kissing his wife during some official party a few hours later. She hadn’t thought it would hurt her that much, but it had. When her affair with Richard had started, she had told herself not to let her feelings interfere. So why was she feeling miserable now?  
She could pretend to simply be angry about finding out this bastard had cut her budget by forty per cent without even telling her face to face. It wasn’t all though, the personal sting worse than the professional one.

She walked faster, ignoring the people around her, the sharp wind that had her shivering in her too thin coat. Her decision to walk home had been a mistake. She should have taken the subway, only she had needed to clear her mind.  
How had she ended up in this situation? Who was the woman who had frakked a former student and some time later had moved on to the married president of the colonies? She didn’t know this woman, wasn’t this woman, was she? She hadn’t been, not when her family was still alive, when she had dreamed of some happiness for herself.

After her mother’s death, she had given up thinking of children, didn’t want someone having to go through the same she had or even worse, to suffer from cancer, too.

A regular, normal life, her family alive, had it been too much to ask for? Obviously. Her father and sisters had died a few years later. Only she had been left. She didn’t blame herself for her family’s death but she couldn’t live with it either, had suppressed the thoughts, not dealt with them.

Gods, she had enough of it all. Herself. Her life. Everything. Walking past a bar, she stopped, turned. She usually didn’t drink, not much anyway, knew it was a mistake, but anger and sorrow threatened to overwhelm her. She couldn’t bear it. Not tonight. What was one more mistake in the long run of things?

Disgusted with herself, she stepped into the bar, surprised it was less smoky and seedy as she had expected it to be. At least the noise level was like that of any other bar she knew. It would be hard to understand anyone. Good. She had come to drink, not to talk, so it was just fine with her.

Not looking right and left, she made her way to the bar, ignored the few scattered tables. She felt some gazes were following her but she couldn’t care less. Even as a politician she wasn’t prominent enough to attract much attention. Taking a stool, she waited for the bartender to notice her. When he did, she noticed three things. He was young, he looked kind and his eyes were of the most amazing blue.

She stopped this train of thoughts as once. Getting drunk was the plan of the evening, not ogling young men, any men.  
“What can I bring you?” he asked, a slight smile playing around his lips.

“Ambrosia neat.”

He nodded, his gaze lingering a bit longer than it should, almost as if he could sense the turmoil inside her. Most likely he could. It was a bar tender’s bread to know his customers, how to treat them. This was nothing personal.  
At least he was back with her drink within the minute. Not even looking at her drink, she downed it with one big gulp, shoved the glass back to him.

“One more.”

He hesitated for a second, nodded.

This time though, he held on to the glass, almost as if not wanting her to get drunk.

“Rough day?”

She glared at him, waited for him to hand her the drink. He did, and with all the willpower she had, she forced herself to take not more than a sip this time. The bartender though didn’t leave. Didn’t he have anything better to do?  
Obviously not. There were other customers but right now they seemed all happy. Frakking fantastic.

“Do me the favour and don’t act as if you care.”

Tonight she was out of tune with herself. It seldom happened but when it did there always were consequencesto deal with later. She was old enough to know better. By all means, she should finish her drink, get up, smile and leave.

Secretary Roslin was known for being a soft-spoken woman with a backbone, for being polite yet going for what she wanted.

That was the thing with people, she mused. They only saw what they wanted to see. Only a few people ever cared to look behind the pretences. Like Wally Grey.

Another unwanted thought. He still asked her out about twice a year. It wouldn’t happen, didn’t he know? But hope died last, didn’t it?

Her hope had died with her mother, or had it been with her father and sisters? She could feel a headache building, realised she was being watched, looked up from her drink.

“It’s not polite to stare at people.”

“I apologize.”

This was the last thing she had expected him to say, and she laughed out.

“Now you’re making me feel bad.”

“I would apologize again, but...”

A small smile played around his lips. He had a beautiful smile, was a good looking man.

“Why bar tender?”

This time she had taken him by surprise. Good.

“I don’t understand?”

“Why this job? Is it so nice to listen to people and their misery all night long?”

“You like asking questions instead of answering them, don’t you?” he shot back.

“Touché. And yes, I found it a useful way of dealing with people and situations.”

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes following the gesture. So he was observant, too, didn’t miss details.

“I see. And yes, I like this job. Although I’m actually the owner of this bar. I just like to be here... and listen.”

So he was running away from his own life, just as she did.

“Do you own that bar for long?”

He shook his head.

“About half a year.”

“And before that?”

Another smile. “Will you answer a question, too?”

She smiled back, handed her empty glass to him. He turned, filled it once more, and Laura vowed it would be her last drink for the evening. She hoped she would be wise enough to follow through.

Handing the glass back to her, their fingers brushed and the contact lasted a second longer than it should. Ridiculous. The last thing she needed was more trouble with men.

“I was a viper pilot,” he said without any preamble.

To say Laura was surprised would have been an understatement. She looked at him closely, tried to imagine him in a viper.

“That sounds like an interesting story,” she finally said.

“Not really.”

It was in the way he broke eye contact she knew it was a sensitive topic for him.

“You?” he asked.

“I don’t understand.”

“What’s your job?”

“Guess.”

She felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny, willed herself not to flinch, react in any way. She could stare down members of the cabinet, the president himself, she wouldn't flinch now.

“Teacher,” he finally said.

She opened her mouth, closed it again, laughed out.

"You're wrong," she said.

He shrugged slightly.

"Happens."

"And right. I used to be a teacher. What gave me away?"

"I'll be back in a second," he said, nodding into the direction of a customer who was waving an empty glass at him.  
She watched him tend to the man, exchange a few words, a smile with him. His whole focus was on the person in front of him.

From one moment to the next, Laura felt angry. Why had she even talked to him, believed he was interested what she had to say. For a few minutes, she had thought she mattered, that what she said mattered. It didn't. For Richard she was simply means to an end, to this man a paying customer. She should know to listen to what her instinct told her. Fishing for some money in her purse, she put the notes under her glass, got up and left the bar without a glance back.  
After a few yards, she stopped, threw her head back, took a deep breath. At least she hadn't gotten drunk. By all means she should go home, run a bath, sleep and begin the next day with plotting how to win her funds back and end her affair with Richard for good.

“Wait,” the voice of the man she had just turned her back to, made her stop, turn around to the bar.

He was walking after her in nothing but the clothes he had worn inside. It was a cold evening and he had to be freezing. She wondered what had made him follow her. Had someone snatched the money away before he had found it?   
Wouldn’t that be the icing on the cake?

“Yes?” she asked when he stopped in front of her. “I paid my bill.”

He shook his head.

“I know. I know. Just... why did you leave that quickly?”

“Why did you follow me?”

He looked frustrated, ran a hand through his hair.

“Because you frustrate me like no other woman has in quite some time.”

In spite of herself, she had to smile.

“Wouldn’t that be the best reason to let me go and be happy to be rid of me?”

“Yes, it would.”

He shrugged. “I’m not known for doing the smart thing all the time.”

“Not only you. So... what now?”

A voice inside her told her to turn her back, leave, to forget the few minutes she spent in this bar, let it become a memory buried under a pile of responsibilities and worries.

He looked back at the bar, then at her.

“Feel like taking a walk?”

“It’s cold out here, you’re not wearing a jacket, we don’t know each other. Hades, I don’t even know your name.”

“I’m Lee,” he said, extending his hand.

Would nothing make an impression on this man?

As if another part of her had already decided to follow impulse, she took his hand.

“Laura.”

“So, Laura. How about this walk? Viper pilots are known for being able to deal with a bit of physical discomfort.”

“Viper pilots are also known to flirt with everything female or male within reach.”

“That’s the general opinion, yes.”

“And it’s not true?”

He met her gaze, unflinching.

“In that case not.”

A gust of wind had her shiver, but her companion, Lee, didn’t give the impression of being uncomfortable. It seemed he really wasn’t faced by the cold.

“At the academy we had an instructor who let us run a few miles in the early mornings in nothing but our underwear. He said who wanted to fly a viper had to be tough. So we either got tough or got out.”

“I start to freeze even thinking about it.”

“Then let’s walk.”

He pointed to a building to their left, an old museum.

“Did you know that there once was an old, blind man, sitting in front of the museum, reading people their future by taking a look at the palms of their hands?”

“No, I didn’t.”

Laura knew a lot of stories about this colony, this city but not that one. She listened to him while they wandered around without a destination and they talked and talked about everything and nothing. It was good not to worry about anything, to be with someone not expecting anything from her. Company for the sake of company. 

She used to know how that felt. Before politics, before tragedy befell her family. An hour turned into two and when Laura couldn’t suppress a yawn, she was annoyed with herself.

Lee stopped.

“I know a shortcut and in five minutes we’ll be back where we started. I don’t know how far you’ll have to reach home, but...”

Home. She didn’t feel like going home, but she knew she couldn’t exist in this state of denying reality forever.

“Not that far. And I’m sure your customers miss you.”

He snorted. “Not likely. And there’s one advantage to being the boss. I can come and go as I please. Asthon, the other bartender will take care of everything.”

This time silence fell between them, and they walked on, Lee leading the way. As he had said they were back at his bar within a few minutes.

They stopped, stood opposite of each other, Lee smiling at her. What was there to say? Laura was good with words, she made a living out of knowing when to say what. This time though, words failed her. What did you say to a man you didn’t know but spent talking to for a few hours nonetheless?

“I better go now,” she said. “Thank you for... an interesting walk.”

He nodded. “I’d say I hope to see you at the bar again and that you know where to find me, but somehow I doubt you’ll be back.”

He read her better than most of the people she knew for a long time did.

“Why would you want me to come back?” she asked, even though she knew it was better to let it rest.

He didn’t even think before answering.

“You’re beautiful, intelligent, obviously stubborn, contrary and... sad. A woman like you shouldn’t look so sad. You make me wish I could make you smile if only for a second.”

His words touched her, made her throat constrict. She didn’t want to feel this way, preferred to be angry with Richard, the world.

“I... Thank you,” she said once more.

Hollow words, but there really were none.

She leaned forward, got onto her toes to kiss his cheek. Pulling back, she smiled at him, the intensity in his eyes scaring her a little. They didn’t know each other well, not at all. It wouldn’t do to make a mistake they both would regret the day after. Sometimes people got lonely, did things they shouldn’t do. Not this time. She had made her fair share of mistakes.

Shaking her head slightly, she turned, left even though it felt as much a mistake as staying would have been.  
“Laura,” he called after her, and she turned, saw he hadn’t moved.

“Think about it.”

“About what.”

He shrugged.

“Everything. Just come and see me if you feel like it. I’d... I’d like that.”

Now it was he who turned, disappeared into his bar.

Laura stood there for a minute longer, than two, finally turned, willed her feet to move. She couldn’t give him a chance, just couldn’t... could she?


End file.
